``I'm interested in gardening,'' she said. ``Planting flowers makes me feel good. I heard from someone about the club so I asked if I could join and they said I could.''

The 25-member club was started four years ago by Karen DiTomaso, a special-education teacher at Fisher. The only criteria for membership are that students have an interest in gardening and that they behave themselves while working on projects.

Nicole's physical handicaps do not exclude her from taking part, DiTomaso said. ``She takes notes at our meetings; she runs the chores she can for us,'' DiTomaso said. ``I try to use her any way I can so she feels like she's part of the club.''

The Bulldog Diggers is one of two gardening clubs at Fisher. The other is Mrs. B's Gardening Club run by Beverly Bobroske, a guidance counselor there. Both were started several years ago after school courtyards became so neglected they were overrun with weeds and grass. Each group has its own courtyard to work.

``Before we got started this courtyard was sandy, there was no grass, it was blah,'' said Shaun Kantor, a seventh-grader. ``This is fun and it's something to do.''

Shaun and John Hawes, both members of Bulldog Diggers, said they do some gardening at home as well.

``I like being outside and I'd rather be outside helping the school look nice than being cooped up inside,'' John said.

DiTomaso asked her students if they were interested in cleaning up the courtyard beside her classroom and several jumped at the chance to get outside. The club first consisted of special- education students but soon spread to others.

Bobroske said she started her group when students asked her if they could spruce up another courtyard at the school.